I think that many signs are indicating that Japan will re-emerge as a major technology powerhouse in the coming decades. And being confronted early to demographic transformation will end-up being an advantage. On the opposite side I think that immigration is a temporary band-aid that doesn’t solve any of the structural issues.

▲

canpan 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Can you share some other signs you think may indicate it rising as a powerhouse? Living in Japan, I am interested what others see.

Regarding immigration, Japan is actually making it a lot stricter now. Not sure how that will play out.

▲

mc3301 2 minutes ago | parent | next [-]

I'm also curious why they imagine a future-Japan-tech-powerhouse. I think Japan has a lot of potential for growing and improving as a place to live (especially if they embrace growth, instead thinking tiny-steps will convince women in Japan to magically start having babies[0])

Additionally, all signs do, in fact, point to fewer new immigrants to Japan in the coming decade.

[0](https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20260401/p2g/00m/0na/04...)

▲

alex43578 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Strict immigration controls are a good thing. The people immigrating to your country should bring value, not problems. They should be positioned to contribute to your society, rather than take from it.

Specifically in this conversation, if Japan can use physical AI and robotics to create X goods and services, wouldn't it be better (for the Japanese) to divide X by the Y population of Japan, rather than Y + Z population of Somalia?

▲

stephc_int13 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Miti is basically a second government with real power, finance and expertise, and they appear to bet on the correct things, it should have happened earlier but from what I have seen they are moving faster than EU on the semiconductor and robotics fronts.

	▲	caminante 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		You mean "METI"? METI is your key driver? You're really overselling their capabilities. See the "lost decades" or most recently, the hundreds of billions deployed for the failed hydrogen initiatives.

▲

AngryData 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I agree immigration is a band-aid, but that doesn't mean it can't be successfully used while planning and managing structural changes long term.

Of course that does make the issue more nuanced and harder to advocate for when we have all seen politicians don't usually push for long term solutions if their band-aid solution will outlast their term of office.